Wildlife of Lycia, Conservation, National Parks

Fauna

Lycia once abounded with
wildlife. George Sharf, who travelled with Charles Fellows, tells us
that in the places the group passed through in Lycia, all the local men
carried guns for defense against bears, wolves, leopards and lions.
Many reliefs on Lycian tombs depict hunting scenes. (as can be seen on
this
spectacular sarcophagusat the Istanbul Archaeological Museum of a
boar hunt). The
last bears and wolves were exterminated only recently, but live in other
parts of the country.

Lions
were an important feature in Lyican tomb art and Charles Fellows commented,
"The lion is seen everywhere throughout the valley of the Xanthus; every
bas-relief, tomb, seat or coin, shows the figure of limbs of this animal.
Lycia was within the historical range of the
Asiatic
lion, now they are an endangered species living in small pockets in
India, Iraq, Iran and North Africa. Regarding the people living in
Lycia in 1840, Sharf tells us that "upon average they took five lions a
year, which are presented to the Ağa (local lord), and ultimately find their
way to Constantinople, where they fetch a high price."

The
nearly-extinct Anatolian leopard also once lived in Lycia. This was
the species used by the Romans in their bloody gladiator fights and traps
constructed for the capture of these cats can still be seen scattered
throughout the Taurus Mountains, known locally as "tiger-traps." It
seems that these cats, originally thought to be extinct,
may be surviving in a small pocket in the Kackar Mountains of the Black Sea
Region and in the eastern Taurus Mountains.

The
Caracal
(also called the Persian Lynx), a small wildcat, probably also lived in the
Lycian region. It still survives today in the Taurus Mountains near
Antalya, but is in danger of extinction because of uncontrolled hunting.
The name "caracal" comes from the turkish phrase "kara kulak" meaning "black
ear."

The herdspeople living in Patara prior to the
1950's reported that the area was home to "jackals and mosquitoes" and
Charles Texier who visited Patara in 1836 complained of being unable to
sleep due to "the horrible echoes of the jackals." Today the jackals
have mostly disappeared from Lycia (they still live in the Olimpos
Beydaglari National Park, perhaps other parts).

Today

Although
these species are gone, there are still plenty of animals in Lycia.
Deer and wild goats Capra
aegagrus
remain (a wild goat was even seen on the mountain side above Kalkan), as do
badgers, porcupines, rabbits, red and persian squirrels, lynx, plenty of
tortoises, lots of lizards including chameleons. Other animals I have
seen are hares, wild pigs, many foxes and some beech martens that live
around our house in Kalkan - we sometimes hear them chattering at night.
Last summer, one fellow cheerfully bounded alongside our car as we drove up
the hill to our house! I know porcupines live around here as well,
since my curious cat returned home sprouting a back full of quills one day.

Monk
seals are unfortunately not seen along Lycia's shores anymore, but
dolphins can sometimes be spotted (I've seen groups of them in Kalkan Bay)
and endangered sea turtles (Loggerhead and sometimes Green) have an
important nesting
site at Patara Beach
(pdf). The sea is full of interesting marine life, which you can see
here.

Lycia
is not on the main bird migration route, but it still has plenty of bird
life and many birds are year-round residents due to the mild climate.
Spring is the best time for bird watching.

Two rare birds found in Lycia are the wall
creeper, which picks its way up gorge walls usually at a high altitude but
lower during the winter and the huge Smyrna kingfisher. These
kingfishers are found in eucalyptus plantations near water.

Lycia
is home to the special tree liquid amber tree,
also known as sweetgum. This tree once covered North America and
Eurasia during the
Cretaceous, Tertiary, Pleistocene and Eocene periods. Today four
species grow natively only in Anatolia (Liquiamber
orientalis), the
USA and China. The tree resembles maple or plane trees and produces a
fragrant oil from which it derives its name: the Latin word Liquidus
(liquid) and the Arabic word Amber (perfumed). Extraction of the oil
is carried out from mid-July to the end of October. It is a good
antiseptic and parasite-killer and if internally consumed, is used for
respiratory problems such as the asthma and bronchitis as well as
blennorrhea and fluoalbus. As a pomade and plaster, it is effectively cures
dermatological ailments like
acne, eczema, psoriasis
and fungal diseases. It is also used in the perfume and soap industry, for
its solution in alcohol acts as a fixator in maintaining the stability of
the scent of perfumes. It can be used to scent tobacco as well. A
residue obtained during the production of the liquid amber oil is burned as
incense in mosques and churches. Liquid Amber oil was also used in
ancient times and was traded by the Phoenicians. The ancient Egyptians
used it in mummy preparation. The scent is described as rich and almond-like, but not overly sweet and
with an undertone of vanilla. If you are driving to a destination
south of Dalaman Airport you may pass the beautiful, aromatic Liquid Amber
plantation just outside of Dalaman. It is especially beautiful in
spring.

Lycia has many species of orchids - visit the
Lycian Way website's list
here.

Some Conservation Organizations in Turkey

Doğa
Derneği (in English) - envisions a world where human societies live
in harmony with nature, and, therefore, nature conservation is no longer
needed. DD aims to protect Turkey's threatened species, starting with
birds, Important Bird Areas, Key Biodiversity Areas and priority habitats,
through a national grassroots network.

Both organizations are supported by many
organizations, including the European Commission.

An article from birdlife.org:

Doga Dernegi has formed a partnership with the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry to
establish a national fund to halt biodiversity decline.

National Parks in
Lycia

Patara National Park

The
Patara area - its stunning 12 km-long beach
(voted one of the top beaches in the world by Times Online, Best of 2005),
its dunes, marshes and the ancient site of
Patara - is a national park and a key biodiversity area. It has
rich birdlife and is the breeding ground of the endangered loggerhead turtle
(caretta caretta). Luckily the beach has been declared off-limits for
development because of the turtles, they are nearing extinction and
protection of their nesting sites on the Turkish coast is very important.

Patara was declared a Specially Protected
Area in 1990. Its surface area is 190 km² and is managed by the
Ministry of Environment, Authority for the Specially Protected Areas.

Patara is a short drive from the town of
Kalkan and is a little bit further from Kaş. Dolmuşes (shared
minibuses) run here from Kalkan. Tours visit from major resort areas.

Termessos-Gulluk Dağ National Park

The
Lycian site of Termessos is set in a beautiful national park, 34 km
northwest of Antalya and can be reached via the
Antalya – Korkuteli highway.
Gulluk Mountain rises just after travertine steps which form large plains
north of Antalya. The ancient site itself is one of the most
spectacular sites in Turkey because of its stunning location on the slope of
Mt. Gulluk overlooking a valley, described by one Termessos-lover as the "Machu
Picchu" of Turkey. I've been there myself and it is, indeed, a lovey
place.

The park is rich with plant and wildlife with
some rare species including wild goats, roe deer and the shah eagle. A
canyon within the park, Mecine Canyon, has walls that are 600 metres high.

According to Turkey's Ministry of Culture and
Tourism, the park has an area for tents and caravans as well as some
restaurants. A visitor's center at the park entrance has detailed
information about the area.

This
gorgeous park consists of the Tahtali Dag Mountain (Mt. Olympos - 2,366
metres at its peak), an extension of the regionally dominant Bey-Daglari
mountain range, and the Saricinar Dag mountain. The park is bordered by the
sea to the east and south with a coastline formed by precipitous cliffs or
long, narrow sandy beaches below the Bogaz plateau. Vegetation is
markedly altitudinal rising from coastal maquis and pine woods to montane
cedar forest and alpine steppe.

The park
includes the entire peninsular from Yardimci Burnu in the extreme south,
Kumluca town in the southwest thence the boundary follows the Altinyaka road
northwards to include the entire Tahtali Dag massif and Saricinar Dag
mountain. The boundary line rejoins the main route 400 approximately 12km
south of Antalya. In the east the boundary follows the Mediterranean
coastline for 138km and extends offshore for one nautical mile (0.5 km).
The park crosses the Antalya – Kemer –
Kumluca state highway. The road is part of the Mersin – Antalya – Mugla sea
road.

The Lycian sites of Phaselis and Olympos (once
pirate bases) are within the park and in
the mountains 13 km west of Olimpos, near Cirali, is an unquenchable natural gas flame
that has been burning for thousands of years. It is said to be the
mythological Chimaera monster which
in legend was slain by
Bellerophon on his winged Pegasus. Olympos and Cirali village are
great places for alternative travellers to visit and night tours are run to
see the Chimaera or "burning rocks." The flame is also related to Hephaistos (god of the
forge), of which Olympos was the sacred precinct.
Mt. Olympos (Tahtali
Dag) is also the place where,
according to Plutarch, pirates once "offered strange sacrifices" and
"performed certain secret rites" to the god
Mithras.

Olympos
village is located in a valley and is famous for its ''treehouse''
accommodation. It tends to cater to younger crowd than Cirali, with
backpackers and budget accomodations. Cirali caters to a quieter crowd with
only a few local bars playing live turkish music and is a good place for
families. It has a protected status that
has spared it from major touristic development so that no big hotels nor
commercial centers have been built. Its population actively
participates in the conservation of the area, including the protection of
its sea turtles.
The two villages share Cirali Beach, which is about 3-4 km long and is
surrounded by beautiful forest-covered mountains.
It is a gorgeous place.

In Çirali, a coastal community on the
south-western Anatolian coast of Turkey, WWF has created a successful model
of sustainable tourism, with the local community actively participating in
conservation activities and reaping economic benefits from their
environment...
more

Kekova-Simena is not a national
park, but has been declared a Specially Protected Area in 1990 to protect
the natural, cultural and geographic richness of the Kekova Island and
surrounding coast. The Kekova Specially Protected Area is 260 km² and is
managed by the Ministry of Environment, Authority for the Protection of
Special Areas.